


Humanity's Son (3)

by iamisaac



Series: Lacking Humanity/Like Father, Like Son/Humanity's Son [9]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:30:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5234162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamisaac/pseuds/iamisaac





	Humanity's Son (3)

Harry took a look at Draco, eyes closed and breathing steady. He had been lying like that for half an hour now, unmoving and apparently asleep. Harry fought the battle in his head again: he shouldn't go - it felt like a betrayal of Draco. He must: it was his fault that Remus... he had to see if he was alive.

The second voice won. Again. And gritting his teeth, Harry tiptoed towards the door. If Draco made the slightest movement, perhaps... But Draco never stirred; and the door opened with the quiestest of clicks. Harry tensed, waiting for something to happen, to prevent him from leaving, but nothing did. Hesitantly he walked down the corridor, praying that whatever happened he wouldn't confront Lucius Malfoy. He had thought that he could never hate anyone as much as Voldemort, but... Lucius Malfoy was pushing at that boundary. He saw again in his head Remus jerking and sweating under the curse, and the emotionless face of his tormentor. If he were to come face to face with Malfoy, even unarmed as he was, he knew he wouldn't be able to help his reaction.

He reached the stairs and began to descend, realising that he had no idea where he was going - where, in the Malfoy mansion, Remus was to be found. But he could do nothing but persevere, deeper and deeper into the depths of the residence. When he reached the bottom of the last staircase, a door caught his eye. It was unobtrusive and he looked at it suspiciously. There were two possible options: either it led to the dungeons, or he'd find himself in Lucius's inner sanctum. Not a good thought, but he owed it to Remus to try.

Three minutes later, Harry was kneeling beside the crumpled body of Remus Lupin. Remus was frighteningly still, though Harry could see that he was at least breathing.

"I'm sorry, Remus. God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Remus..." he found himself saying over and over again, tears dimming his glasses.

Remus stirred, and Harry was by him, holding his shoulder, bending over him anxiously. Remus's eyes flickered, and Harry said again

"Remus, I'm so sorry."

The words in response were harsh.

"Don't... don't you dare pity me, Harry. I don't want your pity."

Harry had never heard Remus sound so angry. He pulled back from him, looking at a Remus who met his gaze with furious eyes.

"I... Remus... I..."

"I don't need your pity," enunciated Remus with bitter clarity.

"I'm not." Harry ran a hand over his head. "It's just... God, Remus, if I hadn't lied, if I hadn't... said... those things..."

And Remus laughed, a mirthless sound that rent the air.

"It seems Malfoy knows me better than you do, Harry."

Harry pulled back, confused. Remus sounded so hard, so cutting; so very different from the kind man he'd always known.

"I don't understand."

Remus groaned, and struggled so that he was half-sitting, half-leaning against the wall.

"No. You don't." 

There was silence, and then Remus spoke again, slowly and clearly.

"So I'll tell you. Believe me, Harry, if you had ever given me even half the reason to believe you were interested that you claimed to Draco, I'd have taken you then and there." He looked broodingly at Harry, whose mouth was open with shock. "I don't need your pity. I don't even deserve your pity. Given the opportunity I'd have done everything you said I did - and more."

Harry stared, shaking his head.

"No... Remus, no."

"Oh yes," said Remus quietly. "Malfoy knew. He could see it. It didn't matter whether I'd touched you or not. He saw I wanted... He say I'd had the temerity to look at you with desire, to want what..." He swallowed, then, looking down away from Harry, finished "...what belonged to his son. And he was punishing me for it. We're possessions, and to dare to want - that's unforgiveable."

Harry slumped down against the wall, staring at Remus as if he'd just punched him.

"You can't..."

"Oh, I can. Believe me, I can. Despicable, isn't it? More than twice your age, a werewolf - a friend of you father, yet I can still think about fucking his son. Think... want... everything. Even now."

And Harry saw an expression in his face that he'd never seen there before - raw need.

"Oh God, Remus," he said helplessly.

"Just go, Harry. Leave me alone."

"But..."

"You shouldn't be here."

The shutters had come down again, and Remus was cool, impersonal, emotionless.

"You didn't, though. You didn't do... anything."

"It doesn't matter. The thought was enough."

"Remus..."

"Go. If you're caught, they'll kill you."

It was true, Harry knew. They'd kill Remus, too.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Take care." The words were curt, but Harry could hear an edge of caring.

"I will."

He slipped out. When he turned and looked back, Remus's head was bent and his eyes shut.


End file.
